South Dakota tribes press state for slot machines

Wednesday, June 10, 2009  

The South Dakota Legislature's State-Tribal Relations Committee held a hearing on Tuesday to discuss slot machines.

The tribal-state compact limits each tribe to 250 machines. Tribes want to add more machines but have faced opposition from Gov. Mike Rounds (R), who otherwise has a positive record on Indian issues.

"I think we're missing an opportunity," Jeremiah M. Murphy of the Great Plains Indian Gaming Association told the committee, the Associated Press reported.

State officials are worried that more tribal slot machines will affect non-Indian gaming in the state. Murphy pointed out that non-Indian facilities have over 12,000 machines, more than six times the number operated by tribes.

The Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe has filed a lawsuit, alleging the state has negotiated in bad faith over the slot machine limit.

Get the Story:
Lobbyist says limits on slots hurt tribal casinos (AP 6/10)